What is bravery?
by lime 63
Summary: Set after the scandal of Tris revealing who she is at Lightbridge but that's not covered. Professor Clearwater assigns an essay needing a lot of thought, and true answers... What is Bravery? A 2 word answer.
1. essay assigned

A/N: Normally thanks go at the end, but I want the end statement to be the last one, because powerful last sentence are usually lost by stupid author notes. So… Thank you to Mireekian, for the basic idea.

I realize that there are probably a lot of mistakes, but it's 11 at night, and I'm going to bed. The next, and final, chapter should be up tomorrow.

Trisana Chandler walked into her 3rd class of the day at Lightbridge University. She was really looking forward to philosophy with Professor Clearwater. Philosophy was an optional course for mage studies, and she enjoyed it. They were now on moral philosophy. Tris liked it because it's a lot easier to control your temper when you know a rational solution for a problem, instead of getting mad. Professor Clearwater made the course enjoyable and easy but mentally challenging. They had many debates, discussions, and write ups all on aspects of life and reasons. Today they were starting personality traits.

"All right class, take your seats." Professor Clearwater, paused a moment as every one sat down and stopped their conversations. "Today we get to start personality traits. I know, it doesn't sound like it has to do with philosophy but we're getting there. Can anyone tell me some personality traits?"

Answers were shouted out from all across the class, as the Professor pointed to each student. "Humility." "Niceness." "Love." "Stubbornness." "Shy" "Outgoing." Happy." "Faith." "Self-centered."

Tris had doubts that some of these were actual personality traits, and that 'niceness' was actually a word. Apparently Professor Clearwater agreed as he said. "Bryce, niceness is not a good tense of the verb to use. Some of those others aren't really personality traits, but are more different aspects of how people live their lives. You should know the difference by now. One last one from… Joshua."

"Bravery."

"Ah, my favourite one. What is bravery?" The class was silent. "I want an essay on what you think bravery is. This is worth forty percent of your final grade, so put some thought into it. It can be any length you want: one paragraph, one page, 5 pages, even 20 pages; just get your point across. You may leave when you are done, or in 2 hours. If you're not finished then, I expect it first thing tomorrow. Go."

Every one got out paper and started writing furiously. Tris wrote down the title, her name and the date and thought before she started writing.

_What is bravery? After everything I've gone though I should know. Is bravery blindly performing magic to try and survive? Is it doing every thing in your power to try and help people to live? Is it defending your home against pirates, or protecting your friends at risk to yourself? Is it killing to save lives, even though that's your greatest fear? Is it trying to help your friend fit back in with their old life, or blindly trying to help a friend divert a forest fire? Is it trying to get rid of a fire strong enough to kill thousands, to help a friend and 50 people live? Is it doing everything you can to stop an illness, no matter how small your job is? Is it trying to save a friend from death, and being their only anchor to life? Is it getting your mage licence at 14, and having to defend every step of the way? Is it dealing with your fears to help a student learn the best? Is it doing everything you can to do the right thing, because only _you _can do it? Is it learning new, unexplainable magic that most people go insane just attempting? Is it taking on a new student, despite personal issues?_

_I think bravery is having the courage to do the unexpected, and almost impossible thing, that most people would never even consider and doing it in a heartbeat, because you know it's what you have to do. But it's that and so much more. What can I put? What can I put? _

Tris considered just writing down everything that she had thought, but she knew that wasn't the right answer. Suddenly it came to her, and she knew it was right. She wrote down what she had though of, gathered her things, handed the page to an amazed Professor and was the first to leave the class.

It took a moment for Professor Clearwater to get over his shock. He had assigned this essay every year for as long as he had been teaching, and no one who was done in less than 1 hour ever passed. Trisana had taken under 10 minutes.

She was one of his best students; he had hoped that she would put more thought into it. He had been really looking forward to reading what she would write, but was a little disappointed that she finished so soon.

As he looked down at Trisana Chandler's final two word answer, he had to smile.


	2. answer at last

A/N: I lied. This is the last chapter. If I remember I'm going to do a sequel about what happens after class. I hope you enjoyed this. There was originally two chapters in the middle, but they didn't work well, so they're now a seperate fluff story. Enjoy!

Tris was a little nervous about what she had put. She knew it was the right answer but was still worried about how he'd mark her. She walked into Professor Clearwater's class and took her seat. Looking around she gave a small smirk, seeing that she was the only one who was dry. A storm had been growing all morning and it had finally started to rain. Of course, she wanted to look good for class, so she simply repelled the water.

As Professor Clearwater called the class to attention, he gave Tris a confidant smile. She let out a little personal sigh of relief.

"Ok, so I want Taylor, Joshua, Mackenzie, Owen, and Erin's essays now. All the rest have been marked and will be handed back at the end of class. One particular essay impressed me immensely. I have been giving this assignment every year, for 17 years, and this was by far the best. She got the first 100 that I have ever given out."

All of the class was curious as to who this person was. To get an 80 in this class you had to seriously bust your butt. A 90 was practically unheard of. Whose answer was so good that they got 100?

"She gave a simple to the point response that sums of bravery completely in two words." The class was completely shocked, so shocked that even the guys didn't have a sarcastic comment. The Professor continued "Just two words. If any one can come up with these two words, they will get an extra 10 percent added to their essay."

A voice shouted out from the class, "Seriously?"

Professor Clearwater gave a little chuckle and said, "Yes Richard, seriously. You have half an hour, while I finish marking these essays." He turned to sit at his desk, and the class broke out in whispers.

"I wonder who it was."

"Who's that smart?"

"Is he serious? He never gives bonus points."

"He never gives perfects out either, dumbo."

One brave student raised their hand.

"Yes Michelle?"

"Who was it Professor?"

The whole class instantly fell silent, wanting to know the answer as well.

Professor Clearwater waited a minute before answering. He was clearly deciding whether to answer, or not. He finally said, "Every one must give me at least one answer by the end of class, except for Trisana." Looking right at her now he said, "You can either leave or do other work that you have." He paused, clearly expecting an answer.

Glowing with pride at her high mark, and the amazed stares from the rest of the class, she answered, "I'll stay. I'd like to hear what they come up with."

People around her subtly edged away from her, as the class broke out in discussion, and Professor Clearwater started grading the last essays. Tris lost herself in her thoughts.

_This is the first time I've actually liked being singled out! Normally it's for things I had to do, but I'm actually really proud of this!_

"Okay, time's up! Come collect your essays."

After every one had their work, with a couple people failing, and was back in their seats professor Clearwater said, "Let's hear what you all came up with."

Quite a few people passed, half the boys managed to say pass among their laughter. One boy was actually stupid enough to say what they were all thinking. "F you."

"That would be stupid to put, not brave. You can leave Nickolas."

There were a couple of reasonable guesses like, "Face fears," and, "Do good." But the best guest came from Michelle.

Her response was: "Everything is."

"Very well thought Michelle, and I'm glad you put that in your essay as well, but no. No one got it right."

After a moment some one shouted out, "What is it?"

More people shouted, "Yeah, what's the answer?"

In response Professor Clearwater turned around and wrote the title on the black board.

"Tris could you please come write you answer."

Smiling slightly Tris walked up to the board, and wrote two bold words underneath the Professor's writing.

The board said:

"What is bravery?"

"This is."


	3. Just a side note!

A/N: this is just a note to say something simple. I said I was going to continue this story and its true. It's just under a new story name. After class, Tris' demo is called "_Out in The Storm."_ The 2 chapters that were in the middle were too much fluff to really work here. They were changed a little bit and renamed "_Glowing!"_.I recommend you read "_Glowing!" _first, but it doesn't really make much of a difference. I just noticed that a few people had this story on alert. And this will not be added to any farther.


End file.
